UP Open University (UPOU) culminated its celebration of the National Women’s Month in the opening of the “Women in Art: Kulay, Galaw, Pinta,” a solo exhibit by Odette Cagandahan on 28 March 2017 at the UPOU Community Hub, Los Baños, Laguna. The event was organized by the UPOU Office of Gender Concerns (OGC), the UPOU Cultural Committee, and the UPOU Foundation, Inc.
“Women in Art: Kulay, Galaw, Pinta” is an exhibit aimed to inspire women, especially mothers, to continue and pursue their dreams and passion, and be agents of change. It features actual works of Ms. Cagandahan including her speed paintings, oil on canvass paintings of women’s faces, glow in the dark paintings of women and nature, and sculptures of women’s body.
Ms. Cagandahan is a full-time contemporary visual artist from Paete, Laguna with a degree in Fine Arts from UP Diliman. Her works have been exhibited in leading galleries in Metro Manila and has received several awards and distinctions. She is known as a “speed painter,” finishing on-the-spot larger-than-life artworks within 2-8 minutes.
At the opening of the exhibit, she speed painted Ariana Grande to the tune of “Break Free” to inspire women to break free from the norms and limitations dictated by the society and initiate and propagate change by believing in what they can do. The UPOU V-Force Dancers also performed a dance number to the UPOU Tempo Band’s rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Treasure.” Asst. Prof. Finaflor Taylan, Director of the OGC, also delivered a short message and together with Prof. Primo Garcia, Chair of the Cultural Committee and Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), and Ms. Cagandahan, led the cutting of the ribbon at the Galeria Sinag. Ms. Jeniffer de Pasion-Guevarra was the program’s emcee.
“Women in Art: Kulay, Galaw, Pinta” is open until 28 April 2017 at the Galeria Sinag, UPOU Community Hub, Los Baños, Laguna. Gallery hours are 9 AM to 6 PM, Mondays through Saturdays. For inquiries, call (049) 536 5992.
